Jedi Mind Tricks
by sockie1000
Summary: At least the physical therapy would only last six weeks. That's what the doctor at the ER told him. ** sequel to Fire Away.


Title: Jedi Mind Tricks

Author: sockie1000

Characters: Casey, Billy, and team

Genre: H/C, friendship, humor

Summary: At least the physical therapy would only last six weeks. That's what the doctor at the ER told him.

Rating: PG

Word Count: 1500ish

Beta: Cokie316

Author's notes: This story is a sequel to "Fire Away." And again, any references to real people are purely intentional. Bonus points if you can guess who. ;)

* * *

At least the physical therapy would only last six weeks.

That's what the doctor at the ER told him.

Not that Casey really thought the doctor had any clue about anything. He didn't know Casey's determination. Or his focus. Or his stamina.

So Casey took the six week timeline and mentally cut it down to four as he hobbled into the CIA headquarters. He scowled at the curious and sympathetic looks he got from inconsequential people in the hallways, sending them scurrying back to whatever holes they had crawled out of. He didn't care what they thought. He didn't. And if he had shaved the timeline down to three weeks by the time he made it into the ODS' office, it was purely a coincidence.

Three weeks was reasonable. Three weeks was logical.

Three weeks was three weeks too long according to Michael.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," Michael groaned as Casey limped inside and made his way to his desk.

Casey shrugged. "Training accident."

Michael sighed as he eyed Casey's knee. "How long?"

Casey sat down at his deck and opened up a file cabinet, using it to prop up his left leg.

"Three weeks."

Michael looked doubtful. "For a knee injury?" he asked, his voice heavy with disbelief.

Casey looked annoyed. "Ok, the doctor said six weeks. But what does he know? I can do it in three."

"Do what in three?" Rick asked, walking into the room with a cup of coffee. He stopped suddenly upon seeing Casey's knee. "What happened to you?"

"Training accident," Casey repeated.

"So what about our mission to Argentina?" Rick asked.

"We'll have to put in on ice for a few weeks," Michael replied crossly, tossing the file he'd been holding onto his desk in frustration.

"Put what on ice?" Billy asked, walking into the office with crossword puzzle in his left hand and a pen tucked behind his ear.

"The mission," Michael replied, gesturing towards Casey. "We can't go with two of you down."

"Ah," Billy said, taking in Casey's Velcro knee brace.

Casey glanced at the navy sling immobilizing Billy's right arm.

Then they both looked away.

Quickly.

Michael noticed. And if he didn't know better…

"Wait a minute…" he paused, thinking out loud. He turned to look at Billy. "You knew about this, didn't you?"

"Knew about what?" Billy asked innocently as he sat down at his desk.

Billy was good. He was good at lying and he was good at faking emotions and he was even better at concealing his own.

But Michael had spent years noticing everything about his team mates; studying every movement, analyzing every tic. Not to mention, he was paranoid. Very paranoid. All of which served him now as he called Billy on his lie.

"You knew." Michael cocked his head. "You knew Casey was injured. You're not surprised to see his knee at all. And you…" Michael turned to look at Casey. "You didn't say a word about Billy's arm even though it was fine on Friday."

Michael's voice grew louder as he reached his conclusion. "You both got injured over the weekend and _you both knew._"

Casey carefully avoided Michael's gaze and Billy was suddenly very interested in studying the floor.

Rick stared back and forth between them.

Michael just got irritated. "Would one of you like to tell me _what the hell_ is going on?"

Both men looked at each other, then at Michael.

"Well, you remember my girlfriend," Billy started.

Michael groaned. "The one who's cursed? How could I forget her?"

"Wait, I thought you didn't believe in curses," Rick interjected. "You said as much back in the ambulance in Nebraska."

"That was four months ago, Martinez. And what's happened since then?" Michael asked.

Rick started to protest but Michael cut him off. "I'll tell you what's happened," he said, his frustration mounting. "First, Billy was electrocuted in his own bathtub. Then, in Uganda, he got impaled on an ancient African spear. And then he was run over by a rickshaw in India. _ Twice. _Now if that isn't bad luck, please tell me what is."

Rick opened his mouth, then apparently thought better and shut it. But then he tried again.

"Ok," he offered with a shrug. "Maybe Billy's cursed."

"Thank you," Michael said with a huff as he turned his attention back towards Billy. "You were saying about your girlfriend…"

Billy looked uncomfortable. He actually squirmed a bit in his desk chair. "Well, she has a sister."

Michael and Rick's faces fell, horror-struck.

"Don't tell me…" Michael looked over at Casey.

Casey actually looked chagrined for once. But only for a moment.

"You knew," Michael admonished Casey. "You _knew_ but you went out with her anyway?"

"She's smart. And artistic," Casey explained simply. "And she has outstanding physical stamina on endurance challenges."

"If that's what you're calling it these days," Michael said dryly.

"No, really. You should see her at the gym with a kettlebell. It's incredible." Casey stared off in the distance with a look that Michael could only categorize as something between devout admiration and full-on animal lust.

It was a bit disturbing, actually.

"So, what?" Rick asked incredulously. "You both went and visited your girlfriends and got injured? That's what happened?"

"More or less," Casey replied, his face unreadable.

"So which one is it?" Michael pressed. "More or less?"

Billy squirmed again. "Perhaps a wee bit more."

This time, even Rick sighed. "How much more?"

"Well, my girlfriend was coming to visit her sister in Boston. So we decided it would be fun if we all hung out together."

Rick looked even more horrified. "All four of you… together?" he asked.

Billy nodded.

"Talk about the mother-load of bad luck," Michael said, shaking his head, disgusted. "It's a miracle you two aren't dead."

"Look, we didn't know her sister was cursed, too." Casey started.

"Well, you should've guessed it at least," Michael concluded. "You're a spy, Casey. And a human weapon." He pointed at Billy. "Look at what's happened to Billy! Do you really want that to be you?"

"Oi!" Billy started but was cut off by Casey.

"No relationship is perfect, Michael. You know that," Casey said pointedly. "But I weighed the pros and cons and made a rational decision."

"A rational decision?" Michael snorted. "Nothing about this is rational. At this point, I wouldn't be surprised to find out they're using Jedi mind tricks on you. I don't want to lock you in your apartments on the weekends, but I will if I have to," he threatened. "You might be content sitting at your desks for the rest of your lives on disability leave, but I'm not. So it needs to end. Today."

Casey folded his arms over his chest and glared, not willing to go down without a fight.

"Come now," Billy began to argue when his phone began to ring. He looked down at it and smiled in spite of himself.

"Is that her?" Michael asked, walking over to Billy's desk. "Because if so, I have something to say."

Michael didn't wait for an answer but instead grabbed the phone off Billy's desk. He was about to answer the call when he noticed the picture on the phone.

It was a picture of Billy wearing his arm sling and Casey in his knee brace lying on adjoining beds in an ER. Both of them were smiling their faces off, looking like they were having the time of their lives.

Their happiness was confusing given the circumstances. That is, it was until Michael saw the two women in the picture.

"What is it?" Rick asked, coming over to look after noticing Michael had gone speechless.

And Rick, too, stared.

Just stared.

Nothing else.

Just… stared.

"Ahmm," Billy cleared his throat, breaking the long silence. "I know what you're thinking, Michael, but I'd rather tell her myself."

Michael frowned, as if Billy's words had broken him out of a fog. "Tell her what?" he asked.

"That I can't see her anymore," Billy said. "That is what you wanted me to tell her, right?"

Michael and Rick continued to stare at the phone even after the call went to voice mail. Eventually, they looked up.

"Maybe I was too judgmental," Michael hedged, looking back and forth between Billy and Casey. "I should probably at least meet both of them before I tell you they're bad for the team, don't you think?"

Billy looked confused. Then a slow smile spread over his face.

Casey looked over at Billy and smirked. "Talk about Jedi mind tricks."

"Should we tell them the good news?" Billy asked, quirking a brow.

"What good news?" Michael asked.

Billy smiled, clearly relishing the moment. "They have another sister. Two, in fact. They're twins."

Michael and Rick looked positively dumbfounded.

At that, even Casey had to grin. "Looks like we'll need to find a bigger ER."

Billy chuckled. "Indeed, we will, Casey," he said, looking at the two still stunned members of the ODS. "Indeed we will."

_fin_


End file.
